


You Push, I'll Trip

by ChangingMyUserName



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Comedy, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Funny, High School, Human, Humor, Just general tom foolery and shenanigans, M/M, well they're in high school so friends to boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24665941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangingMyUserName/pseuds/ChangingMyUserName
Summary: Stiles and Derek meet in gym class during their junior year at Beacon Hills High School. Jackson is an ass, so naturally they become salt friends with their only goal being to defeat Jackass Whittemore and his stupid band of chronies. Of course no one but Lydia sees this for what it truly is, the beginning of their soon to be relationship.------“Oh look it's your boyfriend, let's call him over.”“Oh my Gods, Lydia, he’s not my boyfriend. He's not even my friend. I wouldn’t even say he's truly an acquaintance.”“Don’t lie to me Stiles, I see you two scheming together across the gym every other day.”“We’re barely even in cahoots!”
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 5
Kudos: 208





	1. The M J P A L M C

**Author's Note:**

> Project Adventure is a gym class my high school used to offer where students would be split into pairs or teams and they would have to solve weird problems the gym teacher gave us. Like the floor is lava, get across with only these 4 random objects that you can step on. Or this rope cargo net has a bunch of different sized holes at different levels, get everyone through without using any hole twice.

Its fourth period and Stiles walks into the gym by himself because stupid Scott picked stupid Team Sports on the stupid class request form _even though_ Stiles specifically told him that he chose Project Adventure when he filled it out the period before. But no, Scott was so overwhelmed by all (read four) choices that he claims to have panicked and selected the one that had lacrosse in the description. Stiles sighs as he walks over to join the group of people on the far side of the room; he recognizes a few faces from lacrosse and other classes, but no one he’s actively friends with. At least Lydia’s yoga class is in the other half of the gym, so he’s not totally alone. Maybe he’ll learn sign language so they can talk. From what he’s heard about the class, Stiles already knows he’ll be looking across the room at her like he’s Jim from the office when Greenburg ridiculously and inevitably falls or fucks up during every task.  
Suddenly all thoughts of self pity are pushed from his mind as a complete Adonis walks into the gym. Without realizing it, Stiles begins silently praying to all the gods that this beautiful dark haired boy is not here for yoga, and he just barely stops himself from fist pumping when Hot Guy joins their class, standing mere feet away from Stiles. The teacher begins her spiel about how the class will run this semester but Stiles is completely zoned out running scenarios in his head about how to partner up with Hot Guy, and what to try to talk to him about, and if it would be too obvious to inch closer to him now, and- Fuck. Stiles’. Life. Because who should roll in late to ruin Stiles’ good mood? But Jackass Whittmore. Aka Lydia’s garbage ex Jackson, aka hates Stiles guts for no reason, aka Stiles loves to see him get tackled during lacrosse games. And suddenly all thoughts of self pity are right back where they started. Stiles can’t believe that he has to deal with all this by himself. He internally sighs and continues half listening to the teacher.  
Eventually they are given their locker assignments and sent off to try them out before the period is over. Which is how Stiles learns that Hot Guy’s name is Derek, and that he lucked out with the one full size locker in their section which just so happens to be right across from Stiles’s. Before Stiles decides if now is the time to try and strike up a conversation with the guy, Jackson swagers over to Derek, eyes his long locker, and says, like the true spoiled rich kid he is,  
“That's the locker I get every semester.”  
Derek nods and returns his focus to inputting his combination. He opens the locker door and looks up at Jackson who is still staring expectantly at him. Derek says in a bored tone,  
“Congrats?”  
Stiles can’t hold in his surprised laugh, earning him a glare from Jackson as he stomps away clearly realizing that Derek won’t be bullied out of his locker. Stiles shares a quick look with Derek in what he hopes conveys his solidarity on the Jackson is a wacked out asshole front. Derek then closes his locker and gives Stiles a small smile before heading out.  
Finally without distraction, Stiles tests out his own locker before leaving for his lunch period. Stiles definitely does not replay this interaction in his head the entire walk to locate Scott in the cafeteria. And he definitely is not still thinking about it as he sits down next to his best friend.  
“So how's everyone’s first day so far?” Lydia asks, tossing her bag onto Stiles and Scott’s lunch table and taking a seat across from them.  
“Well gym sucked being all myself,” Stiles whips his head to look at Scott accusatorially, “but this one guy was so nice to look at, it almost made up for it.”  
“Im sorry! It's not my fault!” Scott whines.  
“It is so your fault.”  
“You know I’m bad at tests!”  
“It wasn't a test!”  
“Which guy were you talking about?” Lydia interjects. “The blond?” She’s learned to nip their bickering in the bud before it goes on forever.  
“No he had brown hair, a little bit of scruff, muscle-y, angry eyebrows.” Stiles scrunches his own eyebrows in an approximation of Derek’s.  
“Oh yea I know who you’re talking about. That man is fucking georgous, have you seen his workout videos?”  
“No.” Stiles didn’t know anyone in their school posted workout videos. “Should I?”  
Lydia’s eyes widen and she nods emphatically. “Scott, you know who we’re talking about, he’s in our Biology class. Isn’t he amazing to look at?”  
Scott, who has been quietly looking back and forth between them, attempts to contribute to the new conversation topic. “Well I’m straight, but I guess, _objectively_ he has a good build. I mean, I’m straight so I wouldn’t really know.”  
Now Stiles starts thinking about Derek’s wonderful physique. Those biceps bulging through his green henley. Not crazy bodybuilder, but you can tell he’s on some sports team. “He has the thickest thighs I’ve ever seen.”  
“Ugggh I know!” Lydia closes her eyes for a second and breaths in.  
“Umm well I’m straight so I don’t really know what to say.”  
“Yea, just keep reminding us you’re straight Scotty.” Stiles pats his friend on the shoulder, Lydia snorts.  
\-------------  
\------  
\-------------  
Two days later, the first period of actual Project Adventure is upon Stiles. Dressed in an old camp t-shirt and his lacrosse uniform shorts Stiles walks into the gym and stands super subtly near Derek. He scans the room and sees a 5’x5’ wooden platform about 6 inches off the ground with a rope dangling a few feet in front of it. They are instructed to stand behind a line and transport the entire class onto the platform without touching the ground beyond the line and using only the rope.  
The class comes to the conclusion that someone needs to take a running leap and grab onto the rope. Which is much easier said than done in Stiles’ opinion. None the less he falls in line behind Derek and one by one they all give it a shot. Normally, without Scott to talk to, Stiles would have been bored by the 3rd person, but then Jackson goes and Stiles gets to watch him just barely miss the rope and wipe out on the gym floor. Stiles barks out a laugh which he turns into a very believable cough when the teacher gives him a look. In front of him, Derek’s shoulders shake ever so slightly in what Stiles presumes to be a suppressed laugh -and Stiles thought he couldn’t be any more infatuated with a guy he’s never spoken to.  
Stiles is immediately proven wrong on that again when the guy in question takes a running jump at the rope, grabs it, and lands gracefully on the platform. Stiles joins the group in giving Derek a small cheer for making it across for them, and thinks he sees a little bit of a blush creep up on their hero’s face.  
“Here.” Derek looks at Stiles and swings the rope over to him. Before Stiles gets the chance to feel giddy that Derek is speaking to him, Jackson shoves through the crowd, grabbing for the rope, and muttering something about “at least being better than Stilinski at this.” Stiles had already begun reaching for the rope and he refuses to move when Jackson literally jumps past him, grabs onto the rope, and knocks into Stiles in the process. This, as Stiles was hoping, throws Jackson off balance causing him to lose his footing at the platform; instead gracefully tapping out, Jackson grabs onto Derek and pulls them both to the floor.  
As Jackson stomps back to the start line and Derek joins Stiles off to the side, a collective groan is heard from the class, prompting their teacher to step forward, clap her hands and very helpfully say, “Okay let's just do it again, but better.”  
“Yea try not to fall off this time guy.” Jackson jumps at the rope while it's still moving and swings across like he thinks he's Spiderman.  
“I'd like to see him fall off a high platform” Derek mutters under his breath.  
“You push, I’ll trip.” Stile offers.Derek turns his head to Stiles and smirks appreciatively. Stiles returns the look and holds out his hand. “I’m Stiles by the way.”  
Derek shakes his outstretched hand, “Derek.” Oh right Stiles isn’t supposed to know that yet. He is _not_ a creepy stalker. “Sorry, i'm not normally like this, but that guy just pisses me off so much. Last year he posted a video of my best friend having a seizure; i've wanted to kill him ever since.”  
“Oh I totally get it.” Stiles really does. “Same for me- well, I am normally like this- but this time I have good reason. He used to date one of my best friends and he was terrible to her the entire time. Just a complete dickhead with no respect for her.”  
“I have never wanted to push someone off that rockwall more in my life.” Derek says, looking across the room at the hand and footholds permanently installed on the far wall.  
“I think it's on the curriculum for next semester, so never say never.”  
“If we start planning now, maybe we can get away with it.”  
“I am going to research rope pulley accidents on a public computer immediately.”  
Derek laughs at Stiles’ true statement, emboldening him to add. “You know, we could form an alliance.”  
Derek cocks his head back towards Stiles “An alliance?”  
“Yea, like a uh-” Stiles gestures with his hands like he’s pitching a movie title “Make Jackass’ Project Adventure Life Miserable Club.”  
“The M J P A L M C? Catchy.”  
Stiles laughs, “We’ll workshop it. Are you in?”  
“Oh absolutely.”  
They spend the rest of the class considering ideas ranging from mild nuance to attempted murder. Stiles hasn't had this much fun just talking to someone who isn’t Scott or Lydia in a long time.


	2. The MJPALMC strikes again

Following the formation of The Make Jackass’ Project Adventure Life Miserable Club (name still under review), Stiles and Derek have started pairing up for every activity. Doing so initially in order to avoid Jackass and the overachievers- and talk shit about him of course- but Stiles has come to find that they actually work really well together. They found a good balance of competing in the challenges while also having fun with it.  
In today’s partner competition they are meant to get to the other side of the gym and back without touching the floor and using only a plastic traffic cone, two spot markers, and a tiny square scooter board with handles sticking out parallel to the floor. Stiles immediately decides that he needs to sit cross legged on the scooter and use the cone as a paddle. He does so with zero hesitation or verbal communication, which makes Derek chuckle.  
“I guess that leaves me with the dots?” Derek picks up the two spot markers and begins the painstaking process of putting one under each foot, balancing on one foot while crouching and sliding the freed dot a foot farther, putting that foot down, and repeating the process with his other leg.  
“Yea dude, you have way more patience than I do.”  
“You don’t say.”  
Stiles, who has started looking through his cone like a telescope to spy on the other team’s strategies, glances back over to see Derek raising his eyebrows at Stiles.  
“Don’t you want to know what our competition is up to?” Stiles gets back to his awkward paddling.  
“There’s one competitor I might be interested in.” Derek admits as he focuses back on his dots.  
“They’ve left the cone behind and flipped the scooter to use it as a third dot which is super-”  
“Smart.” Derek says in a begrudging tone.  
“-lame.” Stiles finishes.  
They look at each other for a couple seconds until Derek shakes his head, smiling slightly. “You’re right, totally lame, no fun at all.”  
“That's what I’m saying.” Stiles paddles with even greater gusto and makes it to the other side before anyone in the class. He sets down the cone to clap for Derek and is treated to a show of Greenburg attempting to use his own cone as a pogo stick and falling on his face after every two or three hops.  
With Derek just a few feet away, Stiles resettles himself on the scooter and reaches out for his cone only to find it isn't where he left it, or anywhere in his vicinity. Stiles immediately looks to Jackson who has apparently decided that he does in fact need the cone he discarded and Stile’s will do. He and his partner are now using it as a fourth dot and it is actually making them faster, which only serves to enrage Stiles more. “Oh you fuck!”  
As Jackass passes Derek’s crouching form, he calls over “You know this is a speed competition, right grandpa?”  
“Fuck off.” Derek says, finally reaching Stiles’ side.  
“He stole my cone!” Stiles gestures angrily from his scooter. “That bastard is gonna win with my cone!”  
“Oh, no he’s not.” Derek squares his shoulders, plants his feet, puts his hands on Stiles’ back, and pushes him clear across the room. Stiles is going so fast he barely has time to flip Jackson off as he glides past him. Seemingly powered by a pure need for vengeance Derek doubles the length of his strides and powers past everyone. Gaining on Jackson, whose partner seems to be struggling to balance on the stolen cone. Invigorated by his flight across the room and Derek's apparent actual chance at beating Jackass and co, Stiles stands up and cheers like he’s at a lacrosse game; both adrenaline and fists pumping. This seems to enrage Jackson and motivate Derek who moves just fast enough to edge out first place. Stiles jumps around, gives Derek a big hug, and laughs maniacally at Jackass’ stupid face. Their teacher who seemed initially happy about their collective investment in the activity now walks over looking slightly concerned. Derek puts his arm around Stiles’ shoulders and steers him towards the water fountain before he can be sent to the nurse.  
“Dude that was epic!” Stiles all but shouts in Derek’s face.  
“Well I couldn’t let him get away with cheating.” Derek cheeks brighten slightly as he takes a drink from the fountain.  
“And being a douchenozzle.” Stiles adds.  
“And being a douchenozzle.”  
\-------------  
\------  
\-------------  
“So yesterday,” Stiles rummages around in his locker, “I had a surprise nap, and my first semi conscious thought was that the past tense of rain should be ran.”  
“What?” Derek shuts his own locker and turns toward Stiles.  
“I just feel like it's more proper.”  
“How do you have a surprise nap?” Derek sits down to wait as Stiles puts on his- admittedly dirty- gym clothes.  
“It's when you lie down intending to do something, but your body just decides that it's finally time to sleep and you only find that out when you wake up confused hours later…”  
“Thinking about rain?” Derek finishes for him.  
“Exactly!” Stiles excitedly shuts his locker and leads Derek towards the gym.  
“This is why you need to sleep in the _Nighttime_.”  
“Naah.” Stiles brushes the comment off and does not at all feel giddy that Derek seems to remember Stiles’ off-hand comment about his late night video game sessions with Scott.  
“Because clearly rain should be the same in past tense.” Derek looks at Stiles matter-of-factly. “That sounds more proper.”  
“I feel like that's just more confusing.”  
“Ran is _literally_ the past tense of a different word.”  
“But _figuratively_ it sounds like the past tense of rain.”  
“How are you in english honors?” Derek asks, exasperated. Stiles says nothing and winks as he walks backwards into the gym door holding it open for Derek to follow.  
Continuing the floor is lava theme, today brings another partner competition. This one forces them to cross the length of the room with only two short planks and one large spot marker. Stiles and Derek are of course lined up right next to Team Jackass, because why would Stiles’ life ever be easy? Halfway through the task Jackson cockly throws his spot marker significantly farther than Stiles had just thrown his. Jackson makes a show of looking over disdainfully and loudly states,  
“Those of us who are _athletes_ can jump a decent distance.” While Jackson turns around to the class looking for support, Stiles takes the opportunity to nudge Jackson’s spot just a bit farther. Unsteady leaning out so far, Derek holds Stiles’ hand to provide balance, and pulls him back just in time for Jackson to pretentiously announce, “watch this” and leap right onto the bare gym floor at least half a foot away from his spot. Stiles cracks up laughing at this and some of the class does as well. Derek, hiding a laugh, gives Stiles a victorious fist bump, while Jackson stomps back to the start leaving his partner to collect their tools.  
\-------------  
\------  
\-------------  
After school Stiles sits with Lydia on the ledge overlooking the student parking lot while they wait for Scott and Allison to arrive. He notices Derek walk by with a similar looking brown haired girl whom Stiles assumes is his sister. Derek looks up and Stiles gives him a half smile, suddenly panicking, unsure if they’re the ‘acknowledge each other outside of class’ type of friends. Derek returns his smile with a nod and continues walking. Stiles heart does not flutter. Not one bit.  
Stiles is about to be relieved that he managed not to embarrass himself, but of course Lydia could never let that stand.  
“Oh look it's your boyfriend, let's call him over.” Lydia leans over Stiles to get a better look at the retreating Hales.  
“Oh my Gods, Lydia, he’s not my boyfriend.” Stiles grabs Lydia’s partially raised hand before she can royally embarrass him. “He's not even my friend. I wouldn’t even say he's truly an acquaintance.”  
“Don’t lie to me Stiles, I see you two scheming together across the gym every other day.”  
“We’re barely even in cahoots!” Stiles flails his arms in defense, dropping Lydia’s hand in the process. Okay, _maybe_ Stiles enjoyed Derek holding his hand in class the other day a little. But Stiles knows their just partners in crime. Even if he _might_ want there to be more.  
Lydia’s snort brings him back to the present. He refocuses and sees her making that patented Lydia ‘I know what your thinking’ look.  
“Oh Shut up.” Stiles says accepting defeat.  
\-------------  
\------  
\-------------  
“Okay serious question.” Stiles looks at Derek as they stand together at the back of the class, “Is a hot dog a sandwich or a taco?”  
“I want to say taco, but does that mean that a meatball sub is also a taco?”  
“Shit, I’ve never considered that.” Stiles stares blankly at the large cargo net stretched out in the middle of the gym floor as he considers this new development. The class starts debating how to get everyone through the cargo net using different holes or whatever the task was- Stiles was not paying much attention during the explanation. He just couldn’t stop thinking about how the last time they were in this gym, Derek held his hand and gods Stiles would really like for that to happen again. But instead of saying any of that, Stiles just rambles on about sandwiches, because he is hopeless. “Are heroes a subsection of sandwiches? Should tacos be a subsection of sandwiches?"  
“Tacos are too good a food to not be their own category.” Derek affirms.  
“Ugh so true. Have you ever been to Rocco’s?”  
“No, is it good?” Derek turns so he is directly facing Stiles.  
“It's amazing you have to go.”  
“Okay how about Saturday? You and me.”  
“YES.” Stiles answers immediately and probably a little too loudly. Shit was that too eager, did he sound weird? Derek is smiling at him now so maybe not; Stiles can't tell, his brain basically shorted out the second Derek asked him out- wait…  
Stiles stares at Derek for a few seconds working this all out in his mind; Derek calmly stares back.  
“So just to confirm. This is a date?” Stiles blurts out.  
“Yes.”  
“ _Hells yea_.” Stiles whispers to himself, immensely happy and nervous all at once. Derek chuckles.  
“Hale you’re up” The teacher prompts. Stiles almost forgot where they were, and he looks around to see most of the class already on the other side of the net.  
“Pay attention asholes, you’ll ruin all our progress when you mess up.” Jackson sneers, clearly having put himself in the hero position going for the last high hole, leaving Stiles one at the bottom to crawl through after him.  
Stiles steps up to the net “Well we certainly don’t want that. Let me hold the ropes open for you guys.”  
Stiles winks at Derek as he holds the ropes open for him. Derek takes a bit of a running start and sails through. Jackson does the same for his section, except at the last second Stiles lifts the bottom rope causing Jackass to get tangled and land in a heap on the mat. Stiles looks down at Jackson in mock surprise, but can’t keep himself from smiling when he meets Derek’s eyes. Derek smiles back and Stiles can hardly believe what a perfect day this is turning out to be.


End file.
